Drapery traverse rod



' y 11, 1967 D. w. SMITH ETAL DRAPERY TRAVERSE ROD Filed Sept. 10, 1965ad 4 5 m Chai?e :v )Qeed QSRQLQW QYL X? g W y (9W *Pra r-uosyf UnitedStates Patent 3,329,992 DRAPERY TRAVERSE ROD David W. Smith and CharlesR. Shewman, Freeport, Ill., assignors to Newell Mfg. Co., a corporationof Illinois Filed Sept. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 486,453 8 Claims. (Cl.1687.4)

This invention relates to a drapery traverse rod of the type comprisingan elongated body adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontalposition on a room wall and slidably supporting a plurality of draperycarriers for movement along a longitudinal slot in the rod to open andclose a drapery panel supported by the rod.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved traverse rod of the foregoing character in which the carriersare supported on the front side of the rod, the side facing into theroom, to avoid the disadvantages of prior rear and bottom openingtraverse rods without the unattractive and objectionable appearance ofprior front opening traverse rods.

A more detailed object is to form the carrier slot in the front wall ofthe traverse rod in a novel manner such that the slot is masked from theView of the occupants of the room and is virtually invisible when thedrapery is open.

Another object is to utilize the masked carrier slot in a novel mannerto improve the support for the carriers.

Still another object is to form the carriers in a novel manner forcooperation with the masked slot in supporting the drapery againsttilting of the top of the drapery adjacent the rod.

A further object is to take advantage of the manner of formation andmasking of the slot to increase the distance the drapery can be opened.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary frontelevation of a drapery traverse rod embodying the novel features of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the traverse rod.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 ofFIG. 2 and showing a modification of the traverse rod body.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a carrier.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of part of one of the mastercarriers.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, this invention isembodied in a drapery traverse rod 10 adapted to be mounted on a roomwall (not shown) along the top of a window to support the drapery panelcovering the window for movement between open and closed positions. Suchtraverse rods comprise elongated hollow bodies which extend across thetop of the window and are formed with a longitudinal slot 11 slidablysupporting a plurality of drapery carriers or hangers 12 which areconnected to the drapery by hooks 13 (FIG. 2) inserted at laterallyspaced points into the upper portion of the drapery panel to suspend thelatter from the rod. A master slide 14 at one end of the group ofhangers similarly supports the movable edge portion of the panel and isconnected to a pull cord 15 for drawing the master slide back and forthin a well known manner.

In most prior traverse rods, the carrier slot 11 has been formed eitherin the rear wall of the rod to face toward the room wall or in theunderside of the rod so as to be inconspicuous when the drapery is open.When the slot is formed in the rear wall with the top of the draperyprojecting upwardly past the front of the rod, it has been necessary tooffset the lower portions of the hangers 12 forwardly beneath the rod tominimize the objectionable outward tilting of the upper edge portion ofthe drapery from the point of support. With such hangers, however, ithas been very difiicult to completely eliminate the tilting and there isa tendency of the hangers to twist and bind in the slot. Other problemsexist with downwardly opening rods, including limitations resulting fromcomplex construction and the manner of mounting of such rods, the needfor a forward offset of the hangers to reduce or eliminate tilting, andthe possibility of fouling of the draw cords that extend through therods above the hangers and the master carrier.

The present invention contemplates a traverse rod 10 of simpleconstruction that completely eliminates the disadvantages of such priortraverse rods by forming the slot 11 in the front wall of the rod in anovel manner such that the slot is masked and virtually invisible asviewed by the occupants of the room. Thus, the improved rod permits theplacement of the hangers 12 and the master carriers 14 in the logicalposition on the front wall of the rod *whi-le voiding an unattractiveappearance of the rod when the drapery thereon is open.

To these ends, the generally vertical front wall of the traverse rodbody is formed by an upper section 17 terminating in a free lower edge18, and a lower section 19 offset forwardly from the plane of the uppersection and projecting upwardly far enough to mask the lower edge 18from view from the room. Preferably, the free upper edge 20 of the lowersection is level with or slightly above the lower edge 18. With thisarrangement, the slot 11 actually opens upwardly along the front walland all that is visible from the room is a relatively inconspicuous linedefined by the free upper edge 20.

While the cross-sectional shape of the tubular body may take variousforms, herein it is generally rectangular as defined by a vertical rearwall 21, horizontal top and bottom walls 22 and 23 and the horizontallyoffset vertical sections 17 and 19 forming the front wall of the rod. InFIGS. 2 and 3, the top wall is joined to the front and rear walls bycurved bends 24. In the modification shown in FIG. 4, the rear bend 24is flattened to form a rearwardly, extending mounting flange withlongitudinally spaced apertures 25 through which fasteners can beinserted to attach the rod to a ceiling Wall. The form shown in FIGS. 2and 3 is supported on end brackets 27 of any desired form.

The hangers 12 are molded in one piece of suitable material such asplastic with lower end portions 28 (FIGS. 3 and 5) in the form ofelongated fingers hanging downwardly along the lower section 19 andextending below the latter, the fingers being apertured at 29 adjacenttheir lower ends to receive the drapery hooks 13. The upper or bearingportions 30 of the hangers are shaped to form two oppositely openingchannels 31 that receive the edges 18 and 20 snugly but slidably to holdthe hangers firmly in place in the slot 11. For this purpose, the upperend portions are S-shaped 'bends hooking over the edge 20 into the slotand then under the edge 18 and upwardly behind the upper section 17.

When the rod 10 is used to support two drapery panels, two master slides14 are mounted in the slot 11 between two groups of hangers 12. Ofcourse, the rod may be made adjustable in length by telescoping twosimilarly shaped bodies together. In this instance, each master slidecomprises a vertical plate 32 (FIGS. 2 and 4) having an apertured lowerportion 33 for attachment to the drapery with hooks 13, the upper edgeportion of the plate being fastened by means of screws 34 to a plasticbody 35 having an integral S-shaped portion along its lower edgedefining a downwardly opening longitudinal groove 37 (FIG. 6) in theunderside of the carrier and an upwardly opening groove 38 along thelower edge of its rear side. These grooves also receive the edges 20 and18 as shown in FIG. 4. A loop in the cord 15 for moving the masterslides along therod is inserted through a slot 39 in a flange 40extending downwardly from the carrier body 35'with1n the rod body and islooped around a cleat 41 on the top of the body 35 as shown in FIG. 6.With this arrangement, the pulleys 42 (FIG. 2) for the pull cord may beoffset rearwardly from the slot 11 to permit the hangers 12 to pass thepulleys and stack up at the ends of the rod.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the disadvantages of rear orbottom opening traverse rods have been eliminated in a traverse rod ofrelatively simple and inexpensive construction and, at the same time,the objectionable appearance of prior front opening traverse rods hasbeen avoided in an extremely simple and effective prising vertical uppersection terminating in a free and generally horizontal lower edgeextending longitudinally of said body and a lower section disposed in agenerally vertical plane offset forwardly from said upper section andterminating in a free upper edge parallel to and spaced forwardly fromsaid lower edge, said wall sections cooperating to define between theman upwardly opening slot extending longitudinally of said body, and aplurality of hangers each comprising a finger disposed in a verticalposition along the front of said lower wall section and a bearingportion of S-shaped cross-section extending into said body through saidslot, each bearing portion forming two offset and oppositely openingchannels extending longitudinally of said body and slidably receivingsaid edges to hold the hanger in said slot.

2. A drapery traverse rod adapted to be mounted in -a generallyhorizontal position along a room wall and having, in combination, ahollow tubular body with a front wall for facing into the room, saidfront wall comprising Vertical upper section terminating in a free andgenerally horizontal lower edge extending longitudinally of said bodyand a lower section disposed in a generally vertical plane. offsetforwardly from said upper section and terminating in a free upper edgeparallel to and spaced forwardly from said lower edge, said wallsections cooperating to define between them an upwardly opening slotextending longitudinally of said body, and a plurality of hangers eachhaving a finger disposed in a vertical position along'the front of saidlower wall 'section'and a bearing portion formed with offset andoppositely opening grooves slidably receiving said edges to hold thehanger in said slot.

3. A drapery traverse rod adapted to be mounted in a generallyhorizontal position along a room wall and having a hollow tubular bodywith a front wall facing into the room, said front wall comprising anupper section terminating in a lower edge extending longitudinally ofsaid body and a lower section having a free upper edge extendinglongitudinally of said body and paralleling said lower edge, said upperedge being offset forwardly from said lower edge and positioned tocooperate with the latter in defining an upwardly opening slot extendinglongitudinally along said front wall and masked from view from saidroom, and a plurality of hangers spaced along said slot, each of saidhangers having a first portion extending downwardly from said upper edgealong said lower section for connection to a drapery panel and a secondportion extending through said slot and defining two offset andoppositely opening channels slidably receiving the edges of saidsections to hold the hanger on said rod.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 in which said second portions areof S-shaped cross-section and hook over said upper edge into said slotand then under said lower edge and upwardly along the inside of saidupper section.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3 further including a masterslide disposed adjacent said lower section and comprising an outerportion disposed in front of said front wall and extending downwardlybelow said upper edge, and a body portion fastened to said outer portionand formed with offset grooves extending longitudinally of said rod andslidably receiving said edges to support said slide on said rod.

6. A drapery traverse rod adapted to be mounted in a generallyhorizontal position along a room wall and having a hollow tubular bodywith a front wall facing into the room, said front wall comprising avertical upper section terminating in a lower edge extendinglongitudinally of said body and a vertical lower section having a freeupper edge extending longitudinally of said body and paralleling saidlower edge, said upper edge being offset forwardly from said lower edgeand positioned above the latter to cooperate therewith in defining anupwardly opening slot extending longitudinally along said front wall andmasked from view from said room.

7. A drapery traverse rod adapted to be mounted in a generallyhorizontal position along a room wall and having a hollow tubular bodywith a front wall facing into the room, said front wall comprising agenerally vertical upper section terminating in a lower edge extendinglongitudinally of said body and a generally vertical lower sectionhaving a free upper edge extending longitudinally ofsaid body andparalleling said lower edge, said lower section being offset forwardlyfrom said lower edge and extending upwardly at least to the level ofsaid lower edge to cooperate with the latter in defining an upwardlyopening slot extending longitudinally along said front wall and maskedfrom view from said room.

8. A drapery traverse rod adapted to be mounted in a generallyhorizontal position along a room' wall and having a hollowtubular bodywith a front wall facing into the room, said front wall comprising anupper section terminating in a lower edge extending longitudinally ofsaid body and a lower section having a free upper edge extendinglongitudinally of said body and parallelingsaid lower edge, said upperedge being offset forwardly from said lower edge and positioned tocooperate with the latter in defining an upwardly opening slot extendinglongitudinally along said front wall and masked from view from saidroo-rn.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,067 2/1910 Frye. r 2,930,0723/1960 Light 16-87.2 3,040,373 6/1962 Graber et al. 1693 MARVIN A.CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DRAPERY TRANVERSE ROD ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A GENERALLYHORIZONTAL POSITION ALONG A ROOM WALL AND HAVING, IN COMBINATION, AHOLLOW TUBULAR BODY WITH A FRONT WALL FOR FACING INTO THE ROOM, SAIDFRONT WALL COMPRISING VERTICAL UPPER SECTION TERMINATING IN A FREE ANDGENERALLY HORIZONTAL LOWER EDGE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BODYAND A LOWER SECTION DISPOSED IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE OFFSETFORWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER SECTION AND TERMINATING IN A FREE UPPER EDGEPARALLEL TO AND SPACED FORWARDLY FROM SAID LOWER EDGE, SAID WALLSECTIONS COOPERATING TO DEFINE BETWEEN THEM AN UPWARDLY OPENING SLOTEXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BODY, AND A PLURALITY OF HANGERS EACHCOMPRISING A FINGER DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL POSITION ALONG THE FRONT OFSAID LOWER WALL SECTION AND A BEARING PORTION OF S-SHAPED CROSS-SECTIONEXTENDING INTO SAID BODY THROUGH SAID SLOT, EACH BEARING PORTION FORMINGTWO OFFSET AND OPPOSITELY OPENING CHANNELS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OFSAID BODY AND SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID EDGES TO HOLD THE HANGER IN SAIDSLOT.